Signaling device and attachment therefor



United State 0..

2,s74,67o SIGNALING DEVICE AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR The present inventionrelates generally to improvements in the art of signaling devices, andparticularly to `signaling devices and attachmentsadapted for and usedwith Hvessels of the type in which food and drink are served to directattention to the fact that the vessel has att'a-ined a Condition whichits possessor desires altered.

In the purchase and consumptionof food and drink in restaurants andpublic houses, service, such as that provide'd by waitresses, is usuallynot limited to one's self. Accordingly, it is frequerltly necessary tocall ones wait'ress to the ,table while'she is momentarily distracted byher other chores. lThe' problem, of ga-ining such a servant's attention,such as during busy times, can be vexatiousand, indeed, frustrating ifit is to be achi'eved in a dignified and orderly inahner. Thetechnique'of catcliing hereye is likely to be more ,unsuccess'ful'thannot, while whistling and shouting are definitely frowned upon in morepolite `circles. Ac'cordngly, a very jdfinite need exis'ts whereby onewho is eithereatng'r drinking or both may su'mmon his waitressjor'thelike in an orderly; dignified and Successful manner and eliminate thefru'strations of being ignored. l

l -Means have heretofore been`` pr posed for SoIVingthis problem,`:su'clh as the beer sitein'havingfiabell clapp'er suspen'de'd from andwithin-itsbae. Hovvev'er, :this steih and such similar -pro'po'salssuier the dis'advantalge* that the signalisjintegrally formed with aSpecific serving unit land unless that `specific unit is `u sed, t he```''`'r' lal is useless.

Another, though-Lsomewhat secondary;Ifdisadvantage lof Vthese Vdevices is that their sgnalingdevices were icon-` ealed from view wi thshm bassand-,thereforadded il'fohn'g to the good hmorhof what should otherwisebe lapleas'ant occasion j A second problem arisirlg from the situationdescribed above is that sweating of the vessel and sometimes spillage ofthe contents from the vessel can not be avoided.

H When these events occur, damage is sometimes finflicted upon theserving surface and the customer's clothing,

and always it is annoying.

In response to this problem the coaster art has been fairly welldeveloped and, insofar as the solution of this single problem isconcerned, appears fairly adequate.

When these two problems are considered jointly (and in practice onerarely occurs without the other), no prior art is known which offers anadequate solution in a single assembly. Sllch a solution is nowavailable and is the substance of the present invention.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide aunique and attractive signaling device of the type indicated with'whichthe possessor of a vessel may, in a dignified and orderly manner,indicate that the contents of his vessel have been consumed.

Another important object of the present invention is 2,874,670 teatreFswft 19-59 ice Another object of the present invention is to provide aunique signaling attachmentjwhich cooperatively coacts with any standardvessel of the type nfwhich food and drink are normally servedto producean Aaudible signalwhereby the user's waitress, b art ender or the like,can be informed that the user of the vessel desires to be re-served.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unique signalingattachment of simple manufaeturfe', pleasing decor and of unitaryassembly which is readily coactable and can be easily interchanged withthe conventionalvessels of th'e type in which food and drink arenormally served to provide a signaling device which the possessor canopera'te at will to direct attention to himself.

These and still further objects are fulfilled'bythe present inventionina manner which becomes apparent from a consideration of the followingdetaile'd description of exemplary embodiments of the present inventionin connection with the accompanying drawing in which like'elements bearlike number throughout .the several views, and:

Fig. `l is a vertical' elevation, partially in section of oneembodirnent ofthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation, partially in section of an embodiment ofthe present invention showing a modii fied base Structure; t

Fig. 3 is a vertical elevation `of the present invention showing anotherbase Structure; and lFig. 4 isv a vertical section of anotherembodirrfei'l't of the presentlinvention';

-Referring now to the drawing, the device of the pres'' ent inventioncomprises a base member a supp'o'rtihg member 1'1, and a resilientmember 1 2 in tegral with a'd extending upwa'rdly from supporting Inember 1 1. At the end of resilient member 12, remote of supporting meinher 11, is a hafnmer' A1,3;

Considering the embodiment of Fig. ,1, base member 10 comprise's a plate14- of any'suitabl'e geolri tric configuration normally used in Coasterman an'inrernal Channel 15 dfiila rhfein. s ortin; member 11 cooperateswith base member 1 to `stahiliz'e device by the slideable enga'ge'lhen'tof shpporting member 11 i'n Chaimo-17151 Plate 14 mayb'e made 0`f rlyliitl' able imateriahzsuch a`s paper, plastic, wood etcx, which? willcushion the vessel and-absorb or catehlm'ostlire:

-An optional base member. 101' shownin' Fig. jieomplate be of more densematerial and/or massive material to provide a unique signalingattachment of the type indicated by which the annoying and sometimesharmful eiect of spillagev or sweating of the vessel upon its servingsurface and its user's clothing is significantly reduced, if notsubstantially eliminated.

so that the assembly is stable Whether vessel 17 rests upon base member10 or not.

Another base member Structure 10' vis illustrated in Fig. 3 andcomprises a dish having a bottom 18 upon which an upwardly extendingfiange 19 is peripherally disposed, and a resilient member 12,integrally Secured thereto. This embodment is particularly desirable foruse in humid climates where the condensation resulting from cold drinksmight otherwise mark or harm the serving surface.

It is contemplated that one skilled in the art may envisage otherequivalents to effect the function of the various base members hereindescribed, and it is intended that such equivalents are within the scopeof the present invention, the present embodiments being merely exemplaryof the present invention.

and of any suitable material although it is preferred that the materialprovide suitable rigidity to enable the supporting member to performitsdescribed function.

Resilient member 12 is of any suitable elastic material, such as Springsteel, rubber and the like, and may .be formed-integrally with orsecured to supportingV member 11 to provide a quasi-fulcrum at thisintersection. A leaf Spring 12 is shown in connection with Figs. l, 2and 3, While a coil sp'ring 12' is shown in Fig. 4.

.Hammer 13 likewise may be of any suitable firm material, such as hardrubber,` glass, plastic, or the like, although it is preferred that thehammer be such that in colliding with the vessel that it provide anaudible sound, but will not result in the breakage of ether itself orthe vessel for obvious safety reasons.

It is intended that hammer 13 be of any conventonal or novelconfiguration such as might be suitable to the character of theestablishment in which the device shall be used. It is possible thatmanufacturing concerns may desire to reproduce in plastic certain oftheir advertising symbols'as the hammer of the device. Exemplary of thevariations adaptable to this combination are a hatchet head, shown inFigsnl and 2 and indicated by the reference numeral 13, and a spheroid,shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and indicated by the reference numeral 13'.

It is understood, within the purview of the present invention, thathammer 13 and resilient member 12' may be integrally formed if desired.Furthermore, hammer 13 may be disposed in abutting, rather than spaced(as shown in the several views), relationship to vessel 17 for'an elastcreturn to its abutting position after being drawn back and released bythe vessel's user. This last mentioned ernbodiment, while suitable forcertain uses, is not pr'eferred for general barrolom use because theselfdamping action of the hammer prevents transmission of a Vibrant andresonant signal.

'A stillv further modification of the embodiments illustrated can beetected by defining hammer 13 in the geometric shape of a hollow solidand dsposing seeds or pebbles and the like therein to effect a rattlewhen the hammer has been placed in motion.

In Operation, for example, in a public house, the customer who hasempted his glass needs only to draw back on hammer 13 and release it.The cooperative action between resilient member 12' and base memberthrough supporting member 11 causes hammer 13 to sprng forward tocontact the empty glass 17 to produce an audible sound which informs thebartender that the customer desires his glass refilled.

While partcular embodments of the present invention are herein describedand illustrated, it is understood that they are done so to exemplify thepresent invention and not to limit it. Rather, such modifications oradaptations, as Would readily occur to one skilled in the art to whichthe present invention pertains, are intended to be equally containedwithin its scope, the present invention being limited only by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A signaling device comprising: a thin flat base member; a portablevessel of the type which when struck will emit sound independent of andcoacting With said base member to maintain said base membersubstantially stationary relative to said vessel; a hammer member; and aresilient member operatively interposed between and cooperativelycoacting with said base member and said hammer member to provide elasticmovement of said hammer member relative to said base member and saidvessel, said hammer member striking said vessel to provide an audiblesignal.

2. A signaling device according to clairn 1 in which said thin basemember has an upper and lower planar surface, said upper surfacesupporting an upwardly eX- tending flange peripherally disposedthereupon and securedthereto.

3. The combination comprising a thin flat base member, a resilient armmember secured to said base member and extending outwardly and upwardlytherefrom and oscillatable in response to an external force appliedthereto, and a hammer member integrally formed with and supported bysaid arm member and oscillatable therewith.

4. A signaling device comprising: a thin plate member having anupper anda lower planar surface and an elongated Channel defined thereinintermediate said surfaces; a portable flat bottomed vessel supportableupon said upper planar surface and coactable therewith to maintain saidplate member substantially stationary relative to said vessel; a hammermember; and a resilient member connecting said hammer member and saidbase member, said resilient member having a portion removably insertablewithin said channel for supportng said hammer member for oscillationrelative to ,said plate member into and out of engagement with saidvessel.

References Cited n the file of this patent UNITED STTES PATENTS StrattonFeb. 15, 1876

